Respiratory mask



April 28, 1936. R MALCOM 2,039,234

' RESPIRATORY MASK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1934 April 28, 1936-R. MALCOM RESPIRATORY MASK Filed Jan. 29, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mlllllllllllllll Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Thisinvention relates particularly to the type of protective masks to whichbreathin air is supplied under pressurefrom any suitable source whilebeing used in sand blasting and other occupations where harmful dustsand toxic fumes and gases are present, but it also is applicable tomasks of other types.

It is an object of the invention to provide a' soft moulded rubbermask-facepiece with its essential parts integrally formed as an articlecomplete in itself and ready for use.

Among other objects of the invention are to provide improved len'smounting, head-harness, and means for connecting the harness to thefacepiece.

When considered with thedescription herein, the characteristics of theinvention are apparent in the accompanying drawings, forming parthereof, wherein embodiments of the invention are disclosed, for purposesof illustration.

Although the disclosure herein exemplify what now are considered to bepreferable embodi-' ments of the invention, it is to be understood thatit is not the intention to be limited necessarily thereto ininterpretation of the claims, as modifications and adaptations withinthe limits of the claims can be made without departing from the natureof the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views ofthe drawings, of which- Fig. 1 is a view of the mask and associatedparts in place on a user;

Fig. 2 is a view of the other side of the mask;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrative more particularly of the disposition ofthe head-harness with respect to the facepiece;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the facepiece;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section thereof;

Fig. 6 is a section illustrative of a lens mountins;

Fig. '7 is a section illustrative of the mounting on the facepiece of amember of a head-harness fastener.

The facepiece 3 is of soft moulded rubber capable of adapting itself topractically any facial contour and with substantially all of itsessential parts integrally formed on its main wall 9.

This wall has on each side substantially horizontal elongatedprotuberances l and II, which begin at the rear with pipe-sections l2and 53, respectively, slightly separated from the main wall as shown atI4, and which continue forand II contain air-passages l6 and II, whichafford communication between the pipe-sections and orifices l8 and I9 atthe sides of the space A.

At the top, the front protruding wall gradually recedes and narrows intoa nose-cover 20.

The lower part of the front protruding wall merges into a lower recedingwall 2| of the space A, and the material of the facepiece thencecontinues as a depending wall 22 and a substantially horizontal wall 23extending to the rear edge. The walls 2|, 22, and 23 extend upwardly atthe sides and merge into the side protuberances l0 and II. The wall 23is adapted, when the facepiece is on a face, to conform to the underside of the chin, the point of which contacts with the wall 22, wherebytoo much protrusion of the face into the breathing space is prevented.

A baiile 24 in the breathing space, fixed to upper and lower wallsthereof, may be positioned opposite either or both of the orificesl8--l9.

Forwardly-protruding eyepieces 25 are positioned above the upper wall ofthe breathing space.

For the mounting of separable-fastener members on the facepiece, itsmaterial at requisite places near the edge is thickened to affordapproximately dome-like outwardly-protruding parts 26, the bases ofwhich merge into the material except on the side toward the edge, andunder each of these parts there is a recess 21 open toward the edge ofthe facepiece. At these places, strong reenforcement fabric 28 issecured to the facepiece material proper and the under side of the parts26, as shown by Fig. 7.

The facepiece and its parts so far described are of flexible material,such as rubber for example, moulded as an integral article, which iscomplete in itself and ready for use when harness-fastener members,window structures, and an exhaling device are fixed permanently thereinand thereto.

Each of the eyepieces is fitted with a lens 29 or other suitabletransparent sheet, which is sur- 1 into the surrounding material thereofin the following manner, as shown by Fig.6.

The material is thick at the rear to afford an annular portion 32 thatenvelopes the abutment 3| and abuts at its frontfedge the adjacentmarginal portion of the lens, and there is a forward extension 33 of thematerial that covers the outer periphery of thering 30 and extendsinwardly and backwardly over the outer edge and against the innerperiphery with its edge abutting the front marginal portion of the lensopposite to the abutment edges of the portion 32. In this way, thewindow structure is embodied securely in the facepiece material.

Members 34, 35, 36, and 31 of separable fasteners for attachment ofstraps of the headharness are fixed permanently into the parts 26, therecess 21 of which is provided to permit the opposing clamping parts ofthe fastener members to be pressed to holding position against the outerand inner sides of the parts 26. The reenforcing fabric 28 prevents thefastener members from pulling out.

The facepiece is maintained on the face of the user by a head-harness ofspecial formation, which is arranged for quick placement anddisplacement, easy adjustment, and for connection with the facepiece atsuch places as will afford direct support for the heavier parts thereof,and which may be formed as a single piece by cutting flat from sheetrubber or other suitable flexible fabric.

The harness includes as top members a central strap 38 and straps 39 oneach side thereof, which converge rearwardly to a central crown part 40arranged to rest on the top of the head. Continuing rearwardly anddownwardly from the crown part (when the harness is on the head) thereis a lower central part 4| arranged to rest against the upper portion ofthe back of the head. Lower or mid side straps 42 and therebelow understraps 43 diverge oppositely from the lower central part. These strapshave, respectively, at their ends longitudinally-adjustableseparable-fastener members 44, 45, 46, and 41 for connection,respectively, with the corresponding members 34, 35, 36, and 3'! on thefacepiece.

The top central strap 38 is connected with the fastener member 34 at thecenter of the upper part of the facepiece, and the top side straps 39 tothe fastener members 35 approximately over the eyepieces. Thisdisposition of the parts gives direct support for the relatively heavyeyepieces and their windows and for the protruding parts therebelow. Thelower side straps 42 extend forwardly and downwardly above-the ears ofthe wearer to connection with fastener members 35 directly orapproximately above thepipe-sections l2l3, and thus these givedirectsupport to the protuberances I-ll and the hose and exhaling deviceextending backwardly therefrom. The under straps 43 extend forwardly anddownwardly from the back of the head to connection with fastener members31 at the rear of the chin part of the facepiece. The top straps 38 and39 keep the upper part of the facepiece against the forehead, the lowerside straps 42 keep the nose part in place, and the under straps 43 keepthe chin part in place; and all straps operate to maintain the facepiecein sealed relation to the head of the wearer.

An air-supply hose 48 is coupled to pipe-section .l2, and topipe-section I3 is coupled an exhaling device .49 containing a valve 50arranged to per mit emission of air and to prevent its entrance fromoutside of the mask, the valve being protected by a screen at the end ofthe device.

Ordinarily, the air-supply hose is connected to the right pipe-sectionl2 and the exhaling device to the left pipe-section 13. However, as the.facepiece is uniform on each side, the hose and exhaling device may becoupled to the left and right pipe-sections, respectively, if desired.In

facepieces intended for interchangeable connection of these parts theremay be a baflle 24 opposite each orifice I8l9 to function for the onethat happens to be the air-entrance.

The hose 48 is coupled to a filter-body 52 containing material toprevent passage of oil and foreign particles, fumes, and odors to thebreathing space, this body being carried by a belt 53.

A relief-valve 54 on the filter-body automatically prevents too greatair pressure in the hose 48 and the mask, and an adjustablepressure-regulating valve 55 also is provided so that the user mayregulate air pressure to a point below that automatically maintained bythe relief-valve, if he so desires.

Air is supplied from a compressor or blower (not shown) by a flexiblehose 56 connected to the filter-body by a quick-acting coupling 51 thatpermits the user of the mask easily to disconnect himself when he wishesto leave his place of work where the air contains injurious dust ortoxic gas or fumes. If he disconnects the air supply before he leavessuch a place, the material in the filterbody and the valve in theexhaling device will prevent the breathing in of deleterious air-carriedsubstances for the time, at least, required for him to get into normalatmosphere.

When in position on the face of the user, the soft moulded facepieceadapts itself to any facial contourand is sealed against outside air,and the entrance of dust particles prevented. As fresh clean air entersthe breathing space through the inlet-orifice, it is diffused therein bythe baflle and becomes available for normal respiration. Exhaled air isswept out through the exit-orifice by incoming fresh air and out of themask from the exhaling device.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mask-facepiece having moldably formed on the outside adjacent itsedge reenforcements for accommodation of head-harness. fasteners, one ofsaid reenforcements being a flap-like part overlapping and spaced fromthe facepiece material proper, and reenforcing fabric secured to saidlatter material and to the under side of said part whereby fastenermembers clamped against opposite sides thereof are kept fromdisplacement.

2. A mask-facepiece having moldably formed on the outside adjacent itsedge reenforcements for accommodation of head-harness fasteners, one ofsaid reenforcements being a flap-like part overlapping and spaced fromthe facepiece material proper and the material thereof merging at thesides and one end into the facepiece material, and reenforcing fabricsecured inside of and to said part whereby fastener members clampedagainst opposite sides thereof are kept from displacement.

3. A mask facepiece having an eyepiece of molded flexible material suchas rubber, and molded in said eyepiece a window structure comprising arigid metallic protective ring having an annular inwardly-extendingflange, and a lens in said ring against said flange and said ringprotectively extending forwardly beyond the lens, annular portions ofsaid molded material covering said ring and its flange outside andinside, and abutting both sides of said lens adjacent to the innerperiphery of the ring, whereby said structure is held securely in theeyepiece and the lens securely in the ring.

4. In a mask facepiece of molded flexible material such as rubber, thecombination of protrusive eyepieces of the same material as and integralwith the facepiece material, each of said eyepieces having moldedtherein a window structure comprising a. rigid metallic protective ringhaving an annular inwardly-extending flange, and a.

lens in said ring against said flange and said ring protectivelyextending forwardly beyond the lens, annular portions of said moldedmaterial covering said ring and its flange outside and inside andabutting both sides of the lens adjacent to the inner periphery ,of thering, whereby said structure is held securely in the eyepiece and thelens held securely in the ring, and above said eyepieces reenforcementsmoldably formed on the facepiece material for accommodation ofheadharness fasteners. one of said reenforcements being a flap-like partoverlapping and spaced from the facepiece material proper, andreenforcing fabric secured to said latter material and to the under sideof said part whereby fastener members clamped against opposite sidesthereof are kept from displacement.

,RQBERT

